COUNTY — Interactive Portland Symphony KinderKonzert performances were held Tuesday, April 23 for elementary school students throughout Franklin County. A morning concert held at Mt. Blue High School for Regional School Unit 9 first and second graders was followed by an afternoon concert at Strong Elementary School for K through fourth grade students of Maine School Administrative District 58.

The narrator, Matt LaBerge, told eager students he would read five stories and have the children listen to the music so they could see how it related to the stories.

“I am going to read Aesop’s fables to you,” he said. “A fable is a story with something special added. What does it have?”

“A lesson” the audience chimed in.

As Matt read the “Bear and the Bees”, oboist Stefani Burk played her instrument to sound like buzzing bees in flight. The children in the audience fluttered their fingers to portray buzzing bees every time the oboe made the sound.

“The moral of the story is not to take anything that does not belong to you or you might get stung,” LaBerge said.

The program included “The Tortoise and the Hare”, “The Fox and the Crow”, “City Mouse and Country Mouse” and “The Lion and the Mouse”.

Each instrument in the woodwind quartet was featured as one of the stories were read.

The performances were hosted by Kingfield POPS.

“The mission of the Kingfield POPS is to provide music and art programming for regional residents, youth and schools,” said Kingfield POPS President Cheryl Pike.

The organization will bring a Bangor Symphony Orchestra educational performance to area schools June 4, she said.

For more information about Kingfield POPS, visit www.kingfieldpops.com.

dmenear@thefranklinjournal.com

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